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A common argument for stricter gun control in the United States is that the rates of gun violence are much higher than in other countries because other countries have stricter gun control laws. Is this true? The Observatory compares the United States’ gun laws with those of other democracies including Japan, United Kingdom, Canada. Brazil and India.

The retiring House speaker claims he accomplished most of what he wanted to accomplish during his 19 years in Congress, including tax reform, a strong military and enterprise zones. The Observatory decided to check.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin claimed, “The latest statistics demonstrated that if there is a firearm available, it is 17 times more likely to be used either for suicide or for assaulting a friend, relative an acquaintance than it is to be used in fending off an intruder.” The Observatory rates his claim as Mostly True.

ByTaylor PalmbyPublished March 21, 2018

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin has called for a moratorium on new liquor licenses downtown to reduce alcohol-related problems. He says Madison has a drinking problem. A national survey and local statistics show Soglin is right.

ByTaylor PalmbyPublished March 7, 2018

In September 2017, Gov. Scott Walker signed the Wisconsin state budget for 2017-19. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, tweeted “we made historic investments in k12 education, with increases of over $200 per pupil each year totaling over $630 million.” The Observatory decided to fact-check Fitzgerald’s claims.

President Donald Trump declared via Twitter that he is keeping perhaps his most famous campaign promise, claiming that “MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL!” through a recent trade agreement negotiated with Mexico. But economic and trade experts we interviewed said that’s not possible.

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The Observatory harnesses the efforts of University of Wisconsin-Madison student journalists, the expertise of UW scholars, and the Wisconsin-centered platforms of our partners to connect and engage voters in Wisconsin and beyond to provide information vital to the practice of democracy.